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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26187406">Just Business</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybarnesthehotshot/pseuds/buckybarnesthehotshot'>buckybarnesthehotshot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Bucky Barnes AU, Bucky barnes x reader - Freeform, CEO, F/M, Mob bucky, bucky barnes x reader angst, ceo! Reader, james bucky barnes - Freeform, mob! bucky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:40:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26187406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybarnesthehotshot/pseuds/buckybarnesthehotshot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>summary: CEO! reader finds out her relationship with Bucky Barnes was just business</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. just business i</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Y/N felt betrayed. Why? She just found out her fiancé who she’d been dating for two years was using her and exploiting her company for money. The thought itself made her sick to the stomach. How had she been so foolish to think Bucky Barnes actually loved her?</p><p>       She broke down in tears. Who wouldn’t after finding out their whole relationship was a sham? She let a man into her life and there he was, exploiting her life’s work. She fought tooth and nail to get her company where it was and she couldn’t believe she let a man charm his way in.</p><p>       But it was too late. She and her fiancé, who she’d just found out was a mob boss, already signed a deal to merge both their companies. The deal was useless to her and barely even worked to benefit her, but she did it to help Bucky’s company. Since they merged, profits for his company blew up.</p><p>       She decided it was best for her to take a break from work and let her capable staff handle it. She just feared for what Bucky would do seeing as he too was in charge of their joint company. Would he try to drag her down so he could take over everything? The thought itself was hard to stomach, but she needed her time. She needed her time to retaliate.</p><p>       However, before she could completely clear her shrouded train of thought, her phone’s ringtone broke her from her trance. Y/N wiped her tears onto her f/c sweater before standing up to pick up her phone. Seeing the name on her phone shot another wave of anger and sadness through her; it was James Barnes.</p><p>       “Hello?” she croaked out as she picked up the phone. She cringed internally at how weak she made herself sound.</p><p>       “Hey, I noticed you weren’t at work today, are you okay, doll?” He surely was a great actor. “doll” the nickname he lovingly used on her. The words may have slipped through his tongue like silk, but it was all poison to Y/N. She wanted to scoff and scream at him. She wanted to express all her angers and frustrations for being used but she knew better than that. She needed to handle the situation like the professional she was.</p><p>       “I think I’m coming down with a cold. You can handle things there alone, right?” Y/N lied through her teeth as she bit her tongue to refrain from letting words of malice spill through her lips.</p><p>       “I could come over and bring you some soup if you aren’t feeling well. I’m sure Steve and Wanda have everything under control,” he insisted upon hearing those words. Y/N’s heart sank. There it was again; the façade that made her believe he actually cared about her.</p><p>       “No, stay there. The company needs you, love,” she flinched. She was a great actress but she couldn’t deal with herself calling this man—no, monster—such a nickname. She wanted to call him thousands of words and love was none of them.</p><p>       “I’ll come over later to check on you, okay?” Bucky frowned from the other side of the phone. He didn’t want his fiancé to continuously suffer from a cold without him there to help her. Y/N froze up. He was coming over?</p><p>       “I don’t think you should. You could catch a cold too,” Y/N tried desperately to take the idea of visiting her out of her head. What if he knew that she knew and he wanted to kill her before she could tell anyone his secret?</p><p>        “I’m a big boy, doll. I’m sure I could deal with catching a cold,” Bucky chuckled at Y/N’s concern. After all, he’d fought worse than just a cold but Y/N didn’t need to know that. Not yet.</p><p>       “I’ll see you later I guess,” Y/N chuckled nervously into the phone and hoping Bucky didn’t catch onto that.</p><p>       “Bye, doll. I love you,” he spoke tenderly. Y/N froze. There it was. Those three words. The biggest lie she’d ever been told.</p><p>       “Bye,” she mumbled before dropping the call. After everything she learned, she couldn’t find it in herself to say those words back to him.</p><p>       Yes, she loved him dearly, but he took advantage of her. He played her and she wanted nothing more than to lose feelings for the mob boss.</p><p>       The moment the call ended, she contacted her lawyer, Tony Stark. She needed to find a way out of the contract which merged both their companies. That and she needed to break off her engagement with Bucky.</p><p>        “Miss L/N, who are you trying to sue today?” Tony chuckled. If it were a normal day, she would’ve chuckled at his little joke.</p><p>       “Is it possible to break a contract that merges two companies?” she questioned. From there, she and Tony discussed how they could approach the situation. However, she bit her tongue at times when he questioned her about why she wanted to break the contract. “it isn’t beneficial to my company” she told him with her fist clenched. She wanted to tell the whole world about Bucky Barnes’ betrayal. Soon enough, the call ended and nighttime came and her phone rang once more.</p><p>       It was Bucky again. She huffed as she threw the phone across the carpeted floor and got her props knowing he was calling t let her know he was on his way. She pulled a cold towel from the fridge and put it on her forehead as she laid down on the couch, surrounding herself with the same tissue papers she used to dry her tears as she entered a state or near-sleep meaning she was completely aware of everything around her with her eyes shut and her body unmoving.</p><p>       She heard the door creak as a pair of footsteps moved across the hardwood floor and made their way to her. Her heart began to race but she had to keep her act up.</p><p>       What she couldn’t see is that Bucky’s face scrunched up in pity. There was his girl, feeling unwell and vulnerable. He gently pulled her up from the couch and carried her to her bedroom with her even stirring ever so lightly in his embrace. Little did he know, Y/N knew all about his original intentions and she was hell-bent on making him pay for using her.</p><p>       He set her gently on the bed, tucked her in, and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.</p><p>       “I love you, Y/N L/N,” he whispered before shutting the door and heading to clean up the mess of tissues and rags in her living room. The place was trashed and he couldn’t blame her. She was sick and unable to clean up after herself.</p><p>       Y/N fell into a dreamless sleep. She didn’t get up from her bed when she was supposed to, but she couldn’t risk it knowing Bucky could have spent the night in her guest room.</p><p>       The next morning, she woke up to a pissed Bucky, clinging onto her phone as he sat at her dining table with a half-prepared breakfast. She cursed at herself for not hiding her phone properly. He must have seen something. She stepped out of the room slowly and faced him with a brave face.</p><p>       “What did you see?” Y/N questioned, her voice hoarse and still laced with sleepiness.</p><p>       “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I saw the messages from your lawyer on how to terminate a contract! Did you think I’d be happy when I found out you wanted to go solo for your company?” Bucky raised his voice at her, making her flinch. He’d never raised his voice at her and it was a weird feeling.</p><p>       “Did you think I’d be happy when I found out the man I love used me for my money just so he could have more money for his pathetic mob?” Y/N yelled out, her voice venomous and easily matching his tone. Bucky was dumbfounded. How did she find out about it?</p><p>       “How’d you—” Bucky couldn’t even find it in himself to finish that statement.</p><p>       “It doesn’t matter, Barnes! Our company’s partnership? It’s over. This engagement and everything between us? I’m ending it all!” Y/N yelled out, her voice breaking as tears threatened to spill. She didn’t want to end things between them, but she knew she had to.</p><p>       “Y/N, please don’t leave me,” he whispered only loud enough for her to hear.</p><p>       “Don’t leave you? That’s bullshit! If I said ‘don’t use me’ then, would you not have used me, Barnes? All of this was fake, you don’t have to keep acting!” she chuckled darkly to mask the pain in her voice. With every word that left her mouth, Bucky felt his heart break a little.</p><p>       “It isn’t all fake. Not anymore. Y/N, doll, I love you to the moon and back, don’t question that,” he got up to try to take her shaking form in his arms.</p><p>       “Stay the fuck away from me!” she breathed out as the dams in her eyes broke. Tears were spilling freely from her eyes. Bucky wanted nothing more than to wipe them away and whisper a thousand apologies to her, but he reminded himself the mob should always go first.</p><p>       “You will not be terminating our contract,” he spoke firmly, standing up straight again and reaching in his pocket.</p><p>       “I’ll follow through with it and nothing you say is gonna stop me!” Y/N yelled out, slowly backing away from Bucky.</p><p>       “I own half the police in this city, that’s enough to rule your death as an accident,” he smirked, pulling out a small handgun and pointing at her. He expected to see fear in her eyes. Instead, he saw a smirk find its way to her face.</p><p>       “Who do you think owns the other half?” the h/c-haired girl chuckled as she pointed a gun at him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. just business ii</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>summary: mob! reader plays a game and bucky plays along</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>eyy part 2 i guess</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bucky should have been worried about the gun pointed at him, but he was more concerned over the fact that his fiancé was the boss of his top rival. Y/N, his sweet delicate Y/N, was in the same business he was in?</p>
<p>       “Why?” was all he managed to croak out as he loosened his grip on the handgun. Y/N chuckled quietly knowing she’d accomplished her goal.</p>
<p>       “Why’d I buy half the police force? For the same reason you did; I need protection,” Y/N smirked, wiping away remnants of tears with her f/c sweater sleeve.</p>
<p>       “Why didn’t you tell me you were in this business,” he spoke, his eyes still struck with shock as he still tried to stomach the new information he was presented with.</p>
<p>       “Why would I? I don’t need your resources nor do I need your help. What good is giving up a secret when I won’t even benefit from telling? I already run half the city, Barnes,” Y/N chuckled proudly. Along with her company, she also fought to grow her mob.</p>
<p>       Yes, she knew she was dabbling in illegal business, but did she care? No, running the mob gave her a rush of adrenaline.</p>
<p>       “You’re in the wrong business if you don’t crave power,” Bucky whispered as he slowly approached her, his weapon disregarded to the floor. Y/N didn’t budge. She still had her gun pointed at him as he moved closer and closer to her.</p>
<p>       “I didn’t say I don’t crave power. I don’t need your resources either, you lying prick,” Y/N rolled her eyes in annoyance bringing her gun closer to Bucky. He knew he playing a dangerous game yet his curiosity bested him as he wanted to see more of this side of Y/N.</p>
<p>       “I didn’t lie to you. Every word, it was all true,” he whispered getting so close to her that her gun was now resting on his temple. He could feel every jagged breath she took on his skin. She was so sure with her actions yet she seemed so unsure with her emotions.</p>
<p>       “Yes, because everyone takes advantage of the same people they say ‘I love you’ to,” Y/N chuckled, her lips curling into what looked like a smile disguised as a frown.</p>
<p>       “I wanted to tell you, doll. When I put that ring around your finger, I knew I had to tell you soon,” Bucky chuckled, his eyes fixated on the stoned gold band around her ring finger.</p>
<p>       “This? It was all an empty promise, Barnes,” Y/N scoffed, glaring at the gold band. However, something in her told her to keep the band around her finger. She wanted to tear it off her finger and throw it out the window but she couldn’t. It all felt wrong for some reason.</p>
<p>       “It was never an empty promise, doll,” he tried to place his hand on her cheek and she didn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, she slapped it away with the hand she held the gun in, making Bucky curse under his breath.</p>
<p>       “Don’t touch me,” she scoffed, backing away a little from Bucky as she felt uncomfortable with the proximity. He frowned. He wanted nothing more for his hand to brush against her soft skin; he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms as their frustrations with each other melted away.</p>
<p>       “I’m sorry, Y/N. You’re in the same business. You should understand why I did it,” Bucky sighed, rubbing his hand against his temples as though to relieve himself of a headache.</p>
<p>       “Actually, I don’t. Unlike you, I don’t like playing with people’s emotions. A little threat here and there, y’know?” she bit her tongue to stop the tears from spilling from her eyes yet again.</p>
<p>       “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you the way I did,” Bucky admitted, finally drawing the tears from Y/N’s eyes once more. With his guilt eating away at him, he went to her to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks only to feel a sharp pain go through his leg.</p>
<p>       He stared at her hardened features in disbelief. She shot him!</p>
<p>       “You’re full of surprises today, doll,” Bucky chuckled as he winced, slowly bending down to reach the floor once more.</p>
<p>       “I’ve been told I’m lots of fun at parties,” Y/N mocked him, a smile finding its way to her face. He knew she wanted to hurt him before he could be forgiven. Based off the smile on her face, was he forgiven?</p>
<p>       “How’d you find out about this?” Bucky questioned, staring up at her as he applied pressure to his gunshot wound.</p>
<p>       “The FBI’s putting you under investigation. They managed to nab one of your men and they were questioned about me. Of course, he spilled about your intentions then my operative reported back to me. Funny, huh?” Y/N rolled her eyes in annoyance. Not only did he put her under investigation, but the investigation itself is what led to her finding out about him using her.</p>
<p>       “I’m under investigation? How?” Bucky was dumbfounded. He certainly wasn’t expecting to hear those words from Y/N. He was sure he’d been careful with how he conducted business.</p>
<p>       “Mobster to mobster, if you’re leaving a trail of bodies, don’t let them lead to yourself,” Y/N scoffed knowing damn well he’d left loose ends to his work.</p>
<p>       “That’s coming from the woman who’s letting me bleed out on her carpet,” Bucky chuckled silently to himself.</p>
<p>       “I have a cleaning crew on their way. They’re just another gunshot away,” Y/N grinned proudly. Bucky didn’t know if he was terrified or turned on.</p>
<p>       “You won’t kill me,” Bucky scoffed proudly. Well, he wasn’t exactly sure about that. Judging by the bullet in his leg, anyone would know he was going to die at Y/N’s hands soon. However, he was a mobster and he knew better. She didn’t want him dead. She wanted him to suffer.</p>
<p>       “No, but I’ll kill them,” as if on a cue, two uniformed men burst through the door of her home as she redirected her aim from Bucky to both men, shooting them down successfully. Bucky’s mouth opened in shock and confusion. How did she know the FBI were on their way?</p>
<p>       “Damn,” he mumbled earning a chuckle from Y/N. Although her intentions weren’t quite clear, he felt somewhat safe with her around.</p>
<p>       “I have a few moles in the FBI. They’ll tell the other investigators these two managed to hit you before you shot them down completely and that I’m on a business trip in California now let’s go before they send backup,” Y/N spoke so calmly, making Bucky wonder what exactly it was going on in her head as she guided him out the front door and into a tinted black van where her driver had been waiting for them.</p>
<p>       “Why are you helping me?” Bucky croaked out as she began attending to her bullet wound. He wasn’t quite sure what her intentions were but he was grateful to know she was still there for him. </p>
<p>       “You were right, James. I crave power and all this? It’s just business,” Y/N winked as the driver took off, successfully taking them out of the crime scene.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sup this is from my tumblr (also buckybarnesthehotshot) and i decided to post it here too because idk how ao3 works</p></blockquote></div></div>
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